Japan Photo Guide

Chidorigafuchi (Chidori-ga-fuchi) is part of the moat that surrounds the former Edo Castle and is one of the most famous places in Tokyo to see cherry blossoms. If you like, you can rent a row boat or a paddle boat. To be honest, there isn’t too much to say about this place that I cannot convey with my photos–besides where it is I guess… Kundashita or Hanzomon Stations on the subway are both within walking distance–so take a look and enjoy!

Before you know it, the fall season will be sweeping across Japan and the leaves will be turning brilliant shades of reds, oranges and yellows. Even though I love cherry blossom season, I think the fall is my favorite time of the year. Below is a chart for the average dates to best observe fall leaves in Japan.

Read more about fall in Japan and check out some of my favorite places to see the autumn foliage after the jump. See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Sleeping in Japan can quite often be an expensive thing and unlike the USA where hotels charge per room, in Japan it is often a price per person. I am going to run through a couple different options that are decent, cheaper alternatives to regular hotels in Japan. See the other places to stay.

Another unique experience in Japan are the capsule hotels. Traditionally these hotels are made for business men who have missed the last train and just need a place to crash for the night. Basically you have enough space to lay down and that is it. Some people say it feels like you are sleeping in a coffin, so if you are claustrophobic, this is 100% not for you.

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The first forecast for the 2008 Cherry Blossom season has been released!

If you can choose anytime of the year to come to Japan, cherry blossom season is the best time (also fall is a great time). During this time, the seasonal flowers can be seen all over Japan and make for great photos. The 2007 cherry blossom forecast will be released around late February or early March and can be seen at the site of the Japan Meteorology Agency.

When the winters are mild (like the winter of 2007 is) the cherry blossom trees tend to bloom a little earlier than normal. While the forecasts are usually pretty close, like the weather, when cherry blossoms bloom are still slightly unpredictable! Also, different factors such as how much sun a tree gets, play a large role as well.

See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Tokyo Dome is the 55,000 seat stadium home to the Yomiuri Giants. It has hosted everything from NBA and NFL games to monster truck, mixed martial arts and pro wrestling. Next to Tokyo Dome is a place called LaQua which is a shopping and restaurant building. In addition a small amusement park that has a telecaster that goes through the main building, a water ride, bowling and a ferris wheel. To get there by JR you should get off at Suidobashi Station or by subway at Korakuen Station. The below photos is courtesy of PhotoPassJapan.com.

One thing that makes Tokyo Dome worth checking out is food. Especially in the building called LaQua which has a wonderful yakiniku place called Jojoen. It is expensive, but trust me, it is worth it to go one time. Besides the food, just the architecture of the area can make for some nice photos and it is kind of a unique place compared to other parts of Tokyo. See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Ikebukuro is yet another large entertainment and commercial district of Tokyo. Ikebukuro JR Station is the 2nd busiest in Tokyo (1st is Shinjuku Station) and it’s subway station is the busiest in Tokyo. It is estimated that about 1 million people pass through Ikebukuro on a normal day. There are what seem to be an endless amount of shops and restaurants in Ikebukuro and while it is an interesting place, I recommend checking out Shibuya and/or Shinjuku first. If you still need more of an urban fix and have time, then you should head over to Ikebukuro. To be honest, it doesn’t feel too different from those places except for maybe a little older; however, there is another reason why you might want to go to Ikebukuro….

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In Tokyo there is plenty of public transportation by way of train but if you want to go to Asakusa you can take a boat ride to/from Asakusa called the Sumida River Cruise. You do not need a reservation, and while sometimes in the summer it can get pretty crowded, there are usually a couple of boats per hour. There are different course you can take running from a short 5 minutes to 35-40 minutes. The Sumida River Cruise is a nice way to see some of Tokyo and a lot of interesting bridges. As you can see from the photos below there are a couple differnet kinds of boats you can choose from and they go on different routes.

The cooler looking one, that kind of looks like a spaceship, only runs a few times a day and takes you to Odaiba. The building with the golden building and the smaller building with the thing on it is the Asahi Beer Building. See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

I have not actually been here, but the latest winner of the Japan Photo Contest has! Congratulations to Laurenz Bobke who took this great photo at Shinjuku Gyoen! Laurenz had this to say about it, “It was taken in the Shinjuku Gyoen Chaya, Tokyo. After a stroll in the garden, we had two cups of Matcha (finely ground Japanese green tea used for the tea ceremony) with the traditional accompanying sweet in the tea house. Although not a real ceremony, the preparation of the is a very meditative process. The woman making the tea was sitting with her back to us, while I shot across the lacquer table with my small Lumix capturing the reflection.”

For more information about Shinjuku Gyoen, check out the wikipedia or the official website of Shinjuku Gyoen. To see more of Laurenz’s photos of Japan go to travelphoto.net. Thanks again for the photo and great shot!